At the time of my previous article, the Rockford IceHogs had lost seven of their last eight games. The month of November was unkind to the Hogs, finishing with a meager 3-8-3 record, slipping to the bottom of the Central Division.
The month of December began poorly as well, dropping their first two games of the month against the Colorado Eagles. Even with returning goaltender Laurent Brossoit for their Dec. 5 game, the veteran presence was not enough that night. However, good news would hit the IceHogs after these two games.
Young additions
Sam Rinzel in his home debut with the Rockford IceHogs on Dec. 12. (Photo courtesy of Bryan Holliday / Rockford IceHogs)
On Dec. 7, the IceHogs received two key contributors from the Chicago Blackhawks. They received defenseman Sam Rinzel and forward Landon Slaggert.
Rinzel, a highly coveted prospect for the Blackhawks, found himself in Rockford for the first time in his career following a slump in the NHL. Regarding Rinzel, Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill gave his expectations for Rinzel in his time in the AHL.
“This is a really hard league, if you start to struggle, to gain traction,” Blashill said. “So go down and get your swagger with the puck back. Then continue to improve defensively. … He’s not the strongest guy, so he’s got to learn how to defend really smart with his stick—one hand, two hands, knocking guys off balance but not getting into physical confrontations.”
Early returns have been positive for Rinzel. In his first game with Rockford on the road against the Iowa Wild on Dec. 10, Rinzel recorded two assists. He followed that performance up with another two assists against the Milwaukee Admirals on Dec. 12.
In five games with Rockford, Rinzel has recorded seven assists. It is safe to say that Rinzel has found the swagger with the puck, and Rockford is benefitting from his stellar play.
Along with Rinzel, Slaggert has paid dividends for the Hogs. With three points in five games, Slaggert has added depth scoring to a Hogs team desperate for it.
Veteran additions
Laurent Brossoit made his Rockford debut against the Colorado Eagles on Dec 5. (Photo courtesy of Ty McElroy / Rockford IceHogs)
It is not just a youth injection fueling the reinvigorated Hogs. The addition of two veteran pieces has stabilized a struggling group.
The first key addition was the already mentioned Brossoit. After spending over a year being an enigma in the Blackhawks organization, Brossoit joined the Hogs on a conditioning stint at the beginning of December. After a rocky start in Colorado that saw him end the game with a .871 save percentage, Brossoit rattled off three straight wins, raising his save percentage to a respectable .909. He even recorded an impressive goalie goal in their Dec. 12 win against the Admirals.
After his conditioning stint ended, Brossoit was called back up to Chicago, but immediately waived on Dec. 15. After passing through waivers on Dec. 16, Brossoit returned to Rockford. It is still clear that Chicago would like to move Brossoit, as noted in Ben Pope’s article on Dec. 19. Until then, Brossoit looks to improve his game and keep Rockford in a playoff spot.
Along with Brossoit, the Hogs added another veteran in a savvy move by general manager Mark Bernard. On Dec. 14, the IceHogs traded depth defenseman Tyson Feist to the Bakersfield Condors for forward Rem Pitlick.
Pitlick, a member of the Rockford IceHogs from the 2023-24 season, immediately rewarded Bernard’s gamble with a four-point performance against the Manitoba Moose on Dec. 20.
Departures
Standout rookie Nick Lardis joined the Blackhawks on Dec. 12 (Photo courtesy of Kristin Ostrowski / Rockford IceHogs)
Pieces moving in usually means pieces moving out for an AHL team. For the IceHogs, they are not exempt.
On Dec. 8, a day after Rinzel and Slaggert joined the Hogs, veteran forward Dominic Toninato got the call from the Blackhawks. With a two-way contract, Toninato was a clear call-up candidate in case the Blackhawks needed forward depth. The Hogs’ fourth highest scorer (third before the Pitlick trade), Toninato has one point in three games with the Blackhawks since his call-up.
Toninato’s departure from Rockford is expected to be short-term. The same cannot be said about Marcel Marcel. On Dec. 16, Marcel was released from his AHL contract, returning to Europe. The 2023 fifth-round pick was quickly being passed up on the depth chart, and felt it best for his career to leave the organization.
There were two significant call-ups with questions about how long they will stay with the Blackhawks. Those skaters are Ethan Del Mastro and Nick Lardis.
Lardis, Rockford’s second highest scorer, received the call-up on Dec. 12 following a shoulder injury to Connor Bedard. In four games with the Blackhawks, Lardis has recorded one goal. In a corresponding move, the Hogs recalled forward Kevin Lombardi from the Indy Fuel.
Del Mastro got the call up on Dec. 14 and has played two games with Chicago this season.
Final thoughts
Like Nolan Allan, the IceHogs are fighting their way back into contention. (Photo courtesy of Kristin Ostrowski / Rockford IceHogs)
After winning three of their last five games going into the Christmas break, the Hogs have found positive momentum after a dismal November. Sitting at fourth place in the division, Rockford would make the playoffs if the season ended today.
With the new year approaching and further roster churn possible, Rockford will need to continue to find effective play from their depth. That effective play looks to continue on Saturday against the Texas Stars in Rockford at 7 p.m. CST.